Pictures of the Wreck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blown Away!

This morning a big old storm rolled in from the West and rain poured down for two hours. There was a lot of lighting and thunder but nothing out of the usual. Then at around 11a.m. the wind started to pick up from the East and it became very gusty. Two calf hutches blew over and we all raced outside to save the poor baby calves from the wind. 

 

After we had fixed the calf situation everyone was watching the out-of-doors from inside very closely. We noticed that the barn was swaying back and forth, which was definitely not normal. I found the camera only to discover that the batteries needed to be charged. I was becoming very disappointed that there were no other batteries in the house that worked when Channing brilliantly remembered our electric tooth brushes!

 ...so really Chan is the man that saved the day!

I readied my old but trusty Canon S2000 and rushed out into the driving wind and rain. Originally I was just going to snap a few shots of the barn because the shingles were being blow off the roof and I thought it looked kind of cool....

The Barn... a few minutes before it blew over.

The wind was terrible so I went behind a vehicle and took the video of the barn being blown over. Here is a shortened, edited clip:

 

 

Thank goodness all the little heifers were safe and sound!

 

...the lean-to was definitely leaning.

 

Sizing up the situation.

Channing thought he might be able to "rest" against the wind.

Check out this big old pine tree bending in the wind like an asparagus!

The roof on the ground.

My brother Isaac and I are going to turn the old window into a picture frame.

...after all the excitement more dark clouds rolled in!!! There were to opposite air masses coming together and it almost looked like tornado weather for a while. Thank goodness it quickly passed.

We decided that it isn't every day that you have a barn blow down, and it's even less common to catch it on video. So.... we decide this whole calamity was news worthy and called our local TV station tip-line. 

 

Mr. Duane Wolter, a photographer with WEAU News, was here shortly after we called the station. He took a few video clips and interviewed my dad.You can watch the official report online: Caught on tape: Winds take down family's 108 year old barn.

Here is a little conglomeration of the news reports:

Sorry the video quality is so terrible. I think my camera is probably worse off for having been exposed to all that wind and rain.

From the inside, out.

An old screen door inside the wreck.

Channing, Janelle and Patrick sitting inside.

What a crazy day!!! Needless to say we will have a lot of cleaning up to do! ...and I promise I will be posting more pictures sometime soon.

Sigh No More

Hello Fellow Blogger's,

It's been a while it seems since I've posted anything of real importance it seems. I blame my inconsistency on the fact that life has been busy in a very good way. Lately I've had some great opportunities to bond with some great gals. My dear friend Courtney came up at the spur-of-the-moment to check out a college in the area last week. I have also been able to get together with my dear friend Kacey numerous times in the last month. 

I wish everybody could meet Courtney and Kacey or be lucky enough to have friends who are as inspiring as they are. These ladies challenge me to get outside my comfort zone and really live for something. 

Courtney is like an anchor in a world of wicked waves. She's a good steady influence on me, always encouraging me to do the right thing and reminding me of God's marvelous love. She is confident and has a genuine joy and kindness that most people cannot express due to their insecurities in their own life. 

Kacey has an amazing way of looking at life and the world around us. A different perspective than most people. She's willing to challenge an idea and doesn't settle for a  mediocre explanation. It's people like her that keep our world from becoming a mundane place. I love sharing ideas with her because I know that I'm not going to get a typical conversation.

Friends are a part of life that I would not want to miss out on. 

Another exciting thing...

I love music but I have never been a CD/album collector. Most artists/musicians have a few great songs and the rest of their CD turns out to be disappointing. Just recently, however, I discovered an incredible band. They call themselves Mumford & Sons. They have the most interesting lyrics that have a very unique perspective and style.  On top of that their music is this amazing mix of folk, country and rock and it has this up-beat, melancholy sound. They are from England so naturally their accents are simply romantic. 

So, as you can tell, I fell in love with their music.... and therefore I decided to purchase their album, "Sigh No More". 

Let me tell you... it was worth all nine dollars.

Anyhow.... life is exciting! I'm really glad that it's starting to warm up and seem more like Spring. It's been getting down to 32 at night which is grand and next week the forecast is calling for highs in the 60's and 70's! I simply cannot wait for that! 

Until next time....

~Mary Ellen